Members of Ambasamudram Taluk Tamirabharani Farmers' Welfare Association submitted a petition at the Collectorate on Monday seeking the official machinery's immediate intervention to stop the ongoing preparations to start a stone quarry unit at Kodarankulam.
The petition submitted by secretary of the association R. Papanasam said that when the government gave permission for granite quarrying at Aladiyoor near Ambasamudram, it attracted sharp criticism from all sections of the society and the Communist party of India leader R. Nallakannu mobilized the public and the farmers against the “looting of mineral wealth that badly affected the environment, threatened the people living nearby and also posed serious threat to the nearby Manimuthar dam providing succour to several thousands of hectares of cultivable lands”.
Meantime, preliminary steps were being taken to start stone quarrying also at Kodarankulam near the Tamirabharani “in violation of the established and laid down norms of Department of Pollution Control and Department of Forest” even as a case pertaining to carrying out mining activities in and around Kodarankulam was pending before Madurai Bench of Madras High Court.
“It is reliably learnt that the work on establishing the stone quarry has been started without getting proper permission from the Department of Forest. Since the matter is pending before the court, the district administration should instruct the Tamil Nadu Minerals Corporation not to carryout any work at Kodarankulam for starting stone quarry unit,” said Mr. Papanasam.
He warned that the cadres of political parties and nature lovers would stage demonstration near Vandimarichamman Temple in protest against giving permission to start stone quarrying at Kodarankulam on April 28.
